Editorial: Trump stays on script, but for how long?

An uncharacteristically disciplined and subdued President Trump on Tuesday night repeatedly called for bipartisan solutions on issues ranging from infrastructure to immigration in his first State of the Union address.

Yet merely invoking the words “bipartisanship” and “come together” will not undo the deep divisions that Trump aggravated during his first year in office. The enmity he sowed was evident in the various protests by House and Senate Democrats: those who wore black in support of the #MeToo movement, those who invited Dreamers or a transgender soldier as guests, those such as Reps. Maxine Waters and Barbara Lee who simply stayed away.

As expected, Trump was not shy about heralding his administration’s contributions to what he cast as a strong state of the union. He cited a soaring stock market, low unemployment, worker bonuses following a tax-cut bill he signed, the decisions of manufacturers to open factories in the United States and the retreat of the Islamic State.

He also could not resist a few veiled shots at his favorite targets, such as highlighting the patriotism of 12-year-old Preston Sharp of Redding in getting flags on veterans’ graves as an example of the pride that compels Americans to “proudly stand for the national anthem.” The reference to the NFL players’ protests of racism and injustice was inescapable.

For the most part, Trump kept his ambitions in soft focus. He called on Congress for a $1.5 trillion investment in infrastructure without any indication of how the funding might be raised in the wake of a deficit-bloating tax cut. He called for a path for citizenship for 1.8 million immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents, while adding that the “pillars” of a deal would include elements that are anathema to most Democrats: a border wall and curtailment of currently legal means of immigration, including family reunification.

At least Americans can be thankful that Trump went almost 90 minutes without saying the names “Barack Obama” (though he did mention “Obamacare”) or “Hillary Clinton” or “Rocket Man” or any other nicknames of real and perceived foes. He refrained from attacking special counsel Robert Mueller, whose investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election has cast an ominous cloud over the Trump White House.

For at least one night, President Trump stayed on script, leaving us relieved, puzzled and awaiting the next morning tweet to see how long it holds.

This commentary is from The Chronicle’s editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.